Subsistence board looks into fishing, climate change links

ANCHORAGE - The Federal Subsistence Board has approved research to look for possible links between climate change and fishing patterns in three regions of Alaska.

The projects will take three to four years and cost $930,000, according to the Office of Subsistence Management.

Researchers will talk to village households about their traditional harvests, historical patterns and health of the fish and any changes they've noticed over time, said Larry Buklis, fisheries division chief.

The Anchorage Daily News reported studies are planned in Bering Strait villages, Northwest Alaska and along the Yukon River.

The research is part of a monitoring plan that includes 41 projects approved by the board Tuesday in Anchorage.

Buklis said this is the first time the board has specifically targeted climate change and what it means for subsistence fishing in Alaska.